The King and His Court Physician
by lazydreamer406
Summary: The aging King of Camelot discusses wiping out the Druid people with his Court Physician. Until the Court Physician has had enough and tries to snap his king out of it. "You have betrayed me, betrayed Camelot, but worst of all you have betrayed yourself!" two-shot warning: character death, no-slash (its better than it sounds, promise)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine and in all likelihood never will be :(**

The regal and yet aging King of Camelot ran his fingers through his grey hair as he went through the many papers in front of him. There was a knock on the council room door.

"Enter."

The door opened to allow entrance to the Court Physician, whom had almost as much grey hair as the King sitting across the room. With a deep bow of almost forced respect the man entered the room and began to regard the King whom he cautiously continued to call his friend after all these years.

"Ah, Physician I'm glad you're here."

"Are you well my lord?"

"Yes yes," said the King dismissively obviously much more excited about the papers on the table before him. "I called you here because I am rewriting our treaties with the Druid people. We have been far too lenient with them, they are after all sorcerers." The court physician's heart skipped more than one beat at these words.

_No _he thought _the King hasn't slipped that far; please tell me that I haven't lost him completely. _"My lord," he began tentatively "the Druid people have shown us nothing but kindness, they have shown no ill will towards Camelot…"

"Anyone with magic shows ill will towards Camelot!" Shouted the King, pounding his fist on the table to accentuate his point. "Have you learned nothing from the countless magical attacks we have suffered? You yourself have lost much to these attacks."

The physician winced as he remembered running, fast, oh so fast, but not being quick enough. Bursting into the physician's chambers to find his body lying there where he had been killed…

"But sire, the Druid people are not responsible for these attacks…"

"Enough! I only called you in here so you can advise me on how best to track them down and dispatch them." Replied the King, clearly done humoring his subject on the matter.

The Kings words rang through his friend's head _track them down…dispatch them…_the King truly was becoming his father. The Court Physician clutched his chest at the loss of his closest and dearest friend, he had been in denial for a long time but here it was, proof at last, Arthur was truly lost.

"STOP THIS ARTHUR PENDRAGON!"

King Arthur clearly looked startled at such a display, he spluttered trying to come back to himself. "Merlin! What has gotten into you?"

"Me? What has gotten into you? If I had not heard it with my own ears I wouldn't have believed it. The King that I once had so much faith in has fallen so far that he sends his knights into the woods to hunt down innocent women and children _whom he swore to protect_. For too long have I stood by and allowed your hatred for everything magical spread until it has become as terrible as your fathers. But I am as guilty as you, for I stood by during the second purge while you murdered hundreds, all in the hopes that by doing so I could reach _my_ Arthur buried deep within there." Merlin's ancient face looked at Arthur with such sadness and loss that Arthur felt deeply hurt, did Merlin not think that _he _was Arthur?

"Merlin this is enough, I am going to forget that you said all of that because of our years of friendship but I warn you if you go any further…"

"Then what? You'll execute me too?" Merlin asked, his arms open wide as if daring Arthur to do it. However Arthur could see the pain and sorrow deep within his eyes as they filled with years of unshed tears. Arthur felt a weight in his stomach as he looked at Merlin, _really_ looked at him for the first time in a long time. The loss of their friendship was slow, did it start when Merlin became Court Physician instead of his manservant? When Arthur began to realize that in order to lead properly he mustn't rely on others too much? He use to seek Merlin's council on every matter, whether it be personal or concerning the state. But no more. All of a sudden there was a weight in his throat as well. Arthur realized that this was the longest they had talked in years. Why did they never talk anymore? What had changed? He hadn't realize that he had asked these last two questions out loud.

Merlin's face softened and was filled with sadness and grief, did he feel the loss of their friendship too?

"I blame myself for what you have become," said Merlin sadly. Arthur was indignant, wasn't Camelot a better place now? Weren't his people safer? "I could have prevented all of this from happened but I was scared."

"And how could you have done that _Mer_lin?" Even the way Arthur use to say his name sounded wrong, unused, another sharp knife of grief to Arthur's heart.

Merlin merely smiled sadly and held up his wrinkled hand and whispered something Arthur couldn't make out, and that's when both of their worlds came crashing down. The aging King watched as his lifelong friend produced dragon made of fire, the Pendragon crest. To Merlin it was a sign of his loyalty, to Arthur it was a sign of betrayal of the highest level.

At first Arthur couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't function. Breathing started again first, then thinking, _MerlinsasorcererMerlinsasorcererMerlinsasorcercerM erlinsasorcercer. _Then Arthur began to feel the deepest sense of betrayal, hurt, confusion, anger and other emotions he couldn't begin to put a name on. Throughout this entire process Merlin was watching him with a blank look on his face, as if he had always known this day would come and had worked through almost every possible outcome.

Arthur began to pace behind his chair in the council room, trying to figure out how his friend could have fallen so far, to have practiced the arts of _evil. _Once Arthur got his voice back he found anger to be at the top of the pile of emotions, "How could you do this to me!? To Camelot!? You have betrayed everything I have stood for!" He would have continued but Arthur was interrupted, again (he was getting _really_ sick of Merlin picking up that old habit).

"Betrayed you!?" Asked Merlin incredulous, "I have done nothing but protect you and Camelot. It is YOU who have betrayed _me, _Camelot, your people, and worst of all, yourself. I have fought, killed and almost died more times than I can count, all in your name, all in the hopes that you would build a better and brighter future. But look around you Pendragon! Because all I can see is fear and hatred. You use to be a King who believed all were equal, but when was the last time you held a meeting at the round table?" Arthur winced because it was true, meetings with his knights were now held at the usual table with lots of 'yes my lord' and 'sire'.

"But Merlin how can you practice sorcery when it was a sorcerer who killed Gaius?" Asked Arthur imploringly.

Even though it had been decades Merlin still cringed at the memory. A sorcerer had come looking for Merlin (or rather Emrys), wanting to kill him for not helping the people of the magical community, but instead the sorcerer had found Gaius. From what little Merlin could find out the sorcerer had tried to find out where Merlin was and what his reasons for not acting were, Gaius however, would give him nothing. Merlin did not know that the sorcerer was within the castle until too late, he ran and ran trying to get to his mentor in time, instead he found Gaius' body lying on the floor where the sorcerer had left him, dead. Merlin had cried for hours and hours until his body was empty until someone found him and called Arthur. In the end the sorcerer had gotten the showdown with Merlin he was looking for, however it ended differently than the sorcerer had hoped and he became dragon fodder.

"So Gaius was protecting you?" Asked Arthur incredulously, Merlin merely nodded. "But doesn't that prove that magic is evil?"

"And don't I prove that it isn't? It's just a tool Arthur nothing more, it can be used for good as well as bad actions, for healing as well as fighting."

"I will hear no more of this!" Arthur looked at him with distain, as if he was less than human "Why are you here? Are you trying to enchant my entire court?"

Merlin smirked "Well I must be very bad at it if that's the only reason I've stayed." Arthur didn't even smile. "No Arthur I'm not here to enchant the court, you or anyone else! I've been saving your life every other week!"

"You lied to me for _years_ about your magic, and yet you expect me to believe this?" Arthur yelled barely believing his ears, in his years of hearing sorcerers beg for their lives he had heard more than one that had sounded partially plausible, but this? Why would a sorcerer want to protect _him_? Arthur knew what he had to do; his friend was gone, lost to the arts of magic and its evil ways. "You have been charged with conspiring in the arts of sorcery, do you deny it?"

Merlin looked at the man who at one time held so much hope, so much promise, whom he risked his life for again and again. When people from the magic community asked why he protected Arthur the answer use to come so easy, 'he is the once and future king', 'he is my friend', 'he is a great man' and now he found that he really had no answers to give. Maybe that was why he had finally decided that he would tell the King his secret. No he wouldn't fool himself, there was never any hope of Arthur changing his mind on magic, maybe years ago there was a chance…but not now. Not after all of the betrayals he has suffered, Morgana, Agravine, Gwen and Lancelot. No, Arthur wouldn't change the laws for a mere manservant.

"No sire, I don't deny it." Said Merlin with as much pride as he could muster, standing up as straight as his old back would let him.

As the aging King regarded Mer- the sorcerer his heart ached as he thought back over all of the adventures that that two of them had overcome. The two immortal armies, retaking Camelot countless times, fighting Morgana, revealing his uncle, Mordred's betrayal, countless hunting trips, and so many others. At one point in time Arthur had regarded the man in front of him as his dearest friend, as his pillar of support, however those days are now long past. Now when the King saw Merlin standing there he also saw the evilness of sorcery and its potential to corrupt. And so, with a heavy heart Arthur merely nodded then called "Guards! Arrest him." His voice never breaking, not even once.

**What do you think? Did I mislead you in the beginning? A little? Not really? Anyway r&r and I will post the second part soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

Merlin's trial was a speedy one as the court wished the public not to hear about the secret sorcerer who had gotten away with living at the heart of Camelot for so long. King Arthur, the King who the poets and prophecies alike say would be a fair and just king, on that day condemned his once best friend to die on the pyre. Merlin's withered face looked up at the king as they were tying him to the post, Arthur's eyes were cold, angry. On Arthur's right stood Gwenivere, crying softly for her dearest friend, she somehow was able to escape the hatred that Arthur spread within Camelot the last few years. She had known for years about Merlin's magic and had come to accept him for what he was born with; Gwen was at Merlin's execution not as a viewer, but as a mourner.

When Merlin looked around at the courtyard of people gathered at his own execution he could only be grateful that neither Gaius nor his mother had lived to see this day. He glanced around for the few Knights of Round Table who were still there. His eyes met Sir Leon, the ever faithful knight appeared conflicted but still saddened by the loss that was soon to come by means of the flame. Merlin wished Gwain was there but he had been caught attempting to help Merlin escape the dungeons and was now locked up himself, unable to help anyone, only to watch his best friend die through the bars on the window of his cell. Merlin thought he could here Gwain's voice now that he concentrated, something about _get out _or maybe it was _get away_. Merlin smiled to himself he was probably just imagining it to make himself feel better. A last goodbye from a loyal friend.

"Merlin, you have been found guilty of sorcery and for these crimes will be burned at the stake." While Arthur said this his voice was clear and never wavered, just like every other execution. This, more than anything else, told Merlin how little the King viewed their years of friendship in comparison to his magic. However Merlin refused to die without letting Arthur know that he did not feel the same way.

"Do you have any last words sorcerer?"

"Yes, I do you prat!" At this last word Arthur looked visibly struck, for it had been many years since Merlin had called him that. "I am and will always be your friend, even if you're too thick skulled to see it. I blame myself for what Camelot has turned into, but I believe that the time of Albion is not impossible but you need to start getting over yourself and listen to others clot-pole!" Then Merlin grinned a grin that had not graced his face since before Gaius died. "Like I told you long ago, I'm happy to be your servant until the day I die and if that day is today then I can only say that I did the best I could."

Gwen was now crying freely with one hand over her mouth in order to stifle her hiccups. Arthur's mouth was hanging open, unable to speak. All of a sudden he wasn't sure if what he was doing was the right thing. Was this Merlin in front of him really so evil? Then if Merlin wasn't evil, maybe not all magic users were evil ether. For one glorious moment Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, not as King and criminal but as two friends in the early days of Arthur's kingship when they both had so much hope for the future. Then that moment ended and Arthur remembered himself, and the fact that the man in front of him was no longer his friend, maybe he never was, but was in fact a sorcerer.

"Light the pyre."

Merlin's eyes which a few seconds ago had showed a shimmer of hope were quickly extinguished. As the guard neared with the pyre with a torch Merlin never broke eye contact with Arthur, in them the King saw loss, for everything that is no more and for things that can now never be. Finally Merlin nodded his acceptance at the King's decision, at _his_ King's decision, and lowered his head. It occurred to Arthur that Merlin could easily escape if he wanted to, how could he have fought off all of those attacks on Camelot if he was so weak? Then it hit Arthur _I'm happy to be your servant until the day I die_, Merlin didn't escape because this was what Arthur had asked of him.

Arthur felt his entire being sink to the floor as the pyre was light. Time seemed to move in slow motion for the King. _Time that's what I need! More time! I just need to think through this. _Then a voice which sounded suspiciously like his father's said, _But he's a sorcerer!_

The fire had begun to reach Merlin's legs. _Why did I choose fire!? Don't I owe him enough to give him the simple liberty of being beheaded instead?_ A few seconds later these regrets became fervent as Merlin let out his first scream. _No, I'm just having doubts now because its Merlin, he isn't just any sorcerer. Besides with fire his sins will be purged, I'm in fact doing him a favor. _Merlin continued to scream in agony with the fire giving him no relief, always seeking somewhere else to burn, somewhere else to consume his soul. Burning his skin, entering his screaming mouth and burning his lungs as if it wasn't enough to burn him on the outside the fire must burn him on the inside as well.

Gwen was beside herself but would take no comfort in Arthur, in fact she wouldn't even let him touch her since he had arrested Merlin. She only spoke to him to yell at him and to try and reason with him.

In his last throws Merlin's head lashed around eyes rolling in their sockets in obvious agony, searching for something, finally his eyes rested on Arthur. Blue met blue, and for a moment both felt the other's agony, then the connection broke as Merlin breathed his last breathe.

As the King of Camelot regarded his frien- the sorcerer's body, burned to a crisp on the pyre he found that he felt a huge part of his soul had been ripped out of him. This emptiness was worse than when he lost Gaius, maybe worse than when he lost his father, and Arthur knew it would stay with him forever. Never fading, never faltering, and in that moment he made a promise to the empty shell of a body bellow him. _I promise you this Merlin, I will take your revenge on magic for corrupting you, you will not have died in vain._ Then the King turned away from the courtyard, he had work to do, and he would use the emptiness in his soul to help him accomplish it, as his father before him did.

In the years that followed King Arthur Pendragon fought against magic with even more of a vengeance than his father, for if a sorcerer could get that close to the King of Camelot there was no telling how many there were or where they were hiding. Camelot, once a kingdom of justice and peace became a land of persecution, fear and death. The time of Albion never arrived. Arthur became so good at exterminating magic doers that it changed the course of the world. Instead the world progressed along industry and technology.

When it came time to write history Arthur and his father were written as great kings as the people's way of thanking them for ridding the land of the evil of magic. However Gweniviere was able to make sure that the people knew of Merlin's heroics by writing him into their story, as their warlock savior.

**What do you think? I know, a little dark but after reading so many stories of how easily Arthur accepts Merlin's magic I thought something like this had to be done. I also loved doing the parallelism between Arthur/Merlin and Uther/Gaius.**


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